The present invention relates to electrosurgical instruments and more particularly to electrosurgical pencils for cauterizing tissue and evacuating smoke from a surgical site.
The coagulation of blood vessels is a necessary part of medical surgery and is commonly performed by an electrosurgical tool commonly known as an electrosurgical pencil or coagulator pencil. In an electrosurgical pencil, a electrically conductive metal tip, usually flat in shape, extends outwardly from the end of the body of a hollow plastic main body that acts as a hand grip for a surgeon using the electrosurgical tool. In use, the tissue of a patient is electrically connected to one side of an electrosurgical circuit, and the electrically conductive tip is connected to the other side of the electrosurgical circuit. When the metal tip touches or is near the tissue at the surgical site, a high frequency electrical current flows from the electrode to the tissue, thus coagulating and cauterizing the tissue.
Due to the cauterizing effect of the electrically conductive metal tip, small plumes of smoke are produced, which are typically referred to as surgical smoke and must be removed. This surgical smoke is offensive in terms of its pungent odour, and is also potentially dangerous to surgeons and other operating room staff in that it contains possible carcinogenic elements, and also potentially contains transportable viable viral DNA. Exacerbating this problem, is the fact that such plumes of smoke tend to rise plumes toward the persons involved in the operation. Further, the evacuation of smoke away from the surgical site is vital so that the surgeon""s view of the operation site remains as unobscured as reasonably possible.
In order to evacuate smoke from a surgical site, some prior art electrosurgical pencils are constructed to have an air flow passage with an inlet that either terminates adjacent the metal tip or is in fluid communication with the metal tip, and an outlet at the opposite end. The outlet is configured to receive and retain thereon a plastic air flow hose that is connected to a source of low air pressure that causes air to be drawn from the electrosurgical pencil. The air flow must be sufficient to draw away plumes of surgical smoke.
One problem with such prior art electrosurgical tools is that they have unnecessarily complicated structures, and are typically constructed from several parts. Further, many of the parts are unduly robust for use in a disposable tool. Accordingly, such prior art electrosurgical tools are expensive, which is highly undesirable, especially considering that the present day health care system in general, and hospitals in particular, are under severe budget constraints.
Also, it has been found in the prior art that electrosurgical tools having integral structures for smoke evacuation usually provide inadequate air flow. For such evacuation, the amount of air flow (commonly measured in cubic feet per minute) is greatly improved through the present invention.
Further, the air flow path that the surgical smoke is evacuated through is defined by several elements, thus, adding to the cost and complexity and contributing to the problem of a narrow air flow passage.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,117,134 issued Sep. 12, 2000 to Cunningham et al, discloses an Instrument for Suction Electrosurgery. This instrument has an elongate body 11 molded from polymer plastic. A main flow passage 14 extends from a connecting nipple 12 at its back end to its front end where it diverts to a narrow forward main passage section 18 and to a branch passage 20 that extends to an elongate vent 22 that is used to control air flow through the passage 14. A hollow metal electrode tip 30 is inserted into the narrow forward main passage section 18 of the main flow passage 14. The hollow metal tube electrode tip 30 is electrified by means of a wire 26 disposed within a second passageway 24, with the leading end of the wire 26 having a spade connector 29 crimped thereon, which spade connector 29 is clamped in place by the hollow metal tube 30, thus electrically connecting the hollow metal tube 30 to an electrical power source. Smoke is evacuated from a surgical site through the hollow metal tube""s electrode tip 30, into the forward portion of the main passage section 18, into the main passage 14, through the nipple 12, and into a flexible tube connected thereto. The limited cross-section of this air flow path ensures that the evacuation of surgical smoke is not maximized. Further, this prior art electrosurgical pencil has a main body that is very robust and that must be made from several molded pieces secured together, typically by a suitable adhesive or by ultrasonic welding. Further, the air flow path exists in part, within the electrode itself, thus precluding this particular prior art electrosurgical pencil from reaching maximum air flow.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,648 issued Nov. 21, 2000 to Cosmescu discloses an Electrosurgical Unit Argon Beam Coagulator Pencil Apparatus and Method for Operating Same. Wherein the coagulator pencil apparatus 21 comprises a handpiece 22 having a nozzle assembly 11 mounted thereon via tubing 9, with an electrode 12 removably coupled within a socket 8 and surrounded by the nozzle assembly 11. An exhaust connector 13 is coupled to the proximal end of the handpiece 22. At the proximal end of the connector 13 there is namely an exhaust port 15 that is connectable to a source of low air pressure. In use, smoke is drawn through the nozzle assembly 11 into the tubing 9 and then into the exhaust connector 13, through the exhaust port 15 and into tubing (not shown). This particular electrosurgical unit has a large number of components, many of which components define the air flow path, and is somewhat intricate, and is therefore unduly expensive. Further, the cross-sectional area of the air flow path is quite small and is also not straight, thus ensuring that the evacuation of surgical smoke is not maximized.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,431 issued Sep. 1, 1998 to Brown, discloses an Electrosurgical Tool with Suction and Cautery. The electrosurgical tool 2 has a handle 4 having an internal passage 10 that leads from a connector 16, to a tube 18 and to a source of low air pressure. The forward end of the internal passage 10 connects to an air passage that is in fluid communication with a port 12 at the front end 8 of the electrosurgical tool 2. A heatable tip 6 extends outwardly from the vicinity of the port 12. The passage 10 is defined by tubing in the rear portion and in the front portion, which pieces of tubing are connected by a block of material whereat the internal passage 10 is of a restricted diameter. The cross-sectional area of the internal passage of this electrosurgical tool is quite limited due to its specific construction, which is highly undesirable. Further, there are several components that define the air flow path, which makes this prior art electrosurgical tool unnecessarily expensive.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,548 issued Sep. 14, 1999 to DeSisto et al discloses a self evacuating electrocautery device having a hollow body 12 having an outlet connected to vacuum tubing 20, which is in turn connected to a source of low air pressure. A disposable electrocautery blade 16 is inserted into the forward end of the hollow body 12 and terminates within a first air passageway 54. A plurality of plume intake ports 52 permit passage of smoke into the first passageway 54 past spaced ribs 38. The first passageway 54 is connected through an intermittent self-centering rocker switch 14 to a second airway path 56 which leads to the vacuum tubing 20. The specific multi-component configuration of the first airway path 54 especially at the intake ports 52 and the spaced ribs 38 tend to restrict the flow of air therethrough and also make the hollow body 12 of the electrocautery device 10 expensive and difficult to manufacture.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrosurgical pencil that evacuates smoke from a surgical site, wherein the smoke evacuation structure is integrally formed within the electrosurgical pencil, and that is inexpensive to manufacture.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an electrosurgical pencil that evacuates smoke from a surgical site, wherein the smoke evacuation structure is integrally formed within the electrosurgical pencil, and that provides maximized air flow.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electrosurgical pencil that evacuates smoke from a surgical site, wherein the smoke evacuation structure is integrally formed within the electrosurgical pencil, and wherein the air flow path for evacuation of surgical smoke is defined by the main body only.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a novel electrosurgical pencil for use in performing surgery on a surgical site. The electrosurgical pencil comprises a main body portion forming a handle grippable by a user, and has an electrode end, and an exhaust end. A wire retaining passage is disposed within the main body portion and has a wire-receiving opening and an electrode-receiving opening. A metal electrode tip is mounted on main body portion at the electrode-receiving opening for engaging tissue in a surgical site to thereby cut or coagulate the tissue. An electrical switch means is mounted on the main body portion so as to be operable externally to the main body portion. A wire enters the wire retaining passage through the wire-receiving opening and is selectively connectable in electrically conductive relation through the electrical switch means to the metal electrode tip. A substantially unobstructed airflow vent is disposed within the main body portion and has an inlet disposed adjacent the electrode end of the main body portion and that is connected in air flow communication via the airflow vent to an outlet disposed adjacent the exhaust end of the main body portion. The substantially unobstructed air flow vent permits maximized air flow for the removal of surgical smoke. The outlet is connectable in fluid communication via flexible tubing to a source of low air pressure, to thereby permit evacuation of surgical smoke into the inlet of the airflow vent, through the airflow vent, and out the outlet of the airflow vent.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a novel electrosurgical pencil for use in performing surgery on a surgical site. The electrosurgical pencil comprises a main body portion forming a handle grippable by a user, and has a electrode end, and an exhaust end. A wire retaining passage is defined by the main body portion and has a wire-receiving opening and an electrode-receiving opening. A metal electrode tip is mounted on main body portion at the electrode-receiving opening for engaging tissue in a surgical site to thereby cut or coagulate the tissue. An electrical switch means is mounted on the main body portion so as to be operable externally to the main body portion. A wire enters the wire retaining passage through the wire-receiving opening and is selectively connectable in electrically conductive relation through the electrical switch means to the metal electrode tip. An airflow vent is defined by the main body portion so as to extend from the electrode end to the exhaust end of the main body portion, and has an inlet disposed adjacent the electrode end of the main body portion and connected in air flow communication via the airflow vent to an outlet disposed adjacent the exhaust end of the main body portion. The air flow vent permits maximized air flow for the removal of surgical smoke. The outlet is connectable in fluid communication via flexible tubing to a source of low air pressure, to thereby permit evacuation of surgical smoke into the inlet of the airflow vent, through the airflow vent, and out the outlet of the airflow vent.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a novel electrosurgical pencil for use in performing surgery on a surgical site. The electrosurgical pencil comprises a main body portion forming a handle grippable by a user, and has an electrode end, and an exhaust end. A wire retaining passage is disposed within the main body portion and has a wire-receiving opening and an electrode-receiving opening. A metal electrode tip is mounted on main body portion at the electrode-receiving opening for engaging tissue in a surgical site to thereby cut or coagulate the tissue. An electrical switch means is mounted on the main body portion so as to be operable externally to the main body portion. A wire enters the wire retaining passage through the wire-receiving opening and is selectively connectable in electrically conductive relation through the electrical switch means to the metal electrode tip. A airflow vent is substantially solely defined by the main body portion. The airflow vent has an inlet disposed adjacent the electrode end of the main body portion and that is connected in air flow communication via the airflow vent to an outlet disposed adjacent the exhaust end of the main body portion. The substantially unobstructed air flow vent permits maximized air flow for the removal of surgical smoke. The outlet is connectable in fluid communication via flexible tubing to a source of low air pressure, to thereby permit evacuation of surgical smoke into the inlet of the airflow vent, through the airflow vent, and out the outlet of the airflow vent.
Other advantages, features and characteristics of the present invention, as well as methods of operation and functions of the related elements of the structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, the latter of which is briefly described herein below.